Page:Handbook of simplified spelling.djvu/68

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28
ANSERS TO OBJECTIONS

"Too Much Trouble"
Some persons admit that the arguments of the Board ar sound, even incontrovertible, but object to a change on account of the trouble of learning a new way of spelling. To these the Board ansers that they ar under no necessity of going to that trouble. Persons of mature years, who hav laboriously learnd to spel in their youth, and whose habits ar fixt, can not be expected—ar not expected—to change their spelling-habit. With such persons spelling has become automatized, the hand automatically reacting to the brain, in which thoughts take form in words that the hand writes down in letters. The additional mental effort necessary for them to refrain from writing a useless letter would more than offset the saving of fisical effort, for a while. They wil, however, hav no difficulty in reading what is written or printed in the new spelling. No one who has red to this point in the Handbook can honestly say that he has faild to recognize every word.

All Reforms Take Effort
Many, however, for the sake of example, and to show their interest, wil be willing to take some trouble to promote a cause that they believ to be good. No reform has ever been brought about, or ever wil be brought about, without effort; and the effort needed to change a spelling-habit is much les than is generally supposed. This has been proved time and again in the experience of those who hav adopted in practis the successiv recommendations of the Board. It is necessary to giv a little thought to the matter of spelling for only a few days to form the new and better habit.

The Board seriously asks all who ar theoretically convinst of the advantages of simplified spelling to use it